


Cerulean

by Hooda



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 13:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17725886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hooda/pseuds/Hooda
Summary: “Stormfly should be back soon any day,” Astrid mumbled as she sat up and pulled her favorite shawl over her shoulders. It draped mesmerizingly down half the length of her body, even when she wore it loosely on warmer days. She had dyed its wool a cerulean blue, a color as deep as the waves of the sea and Stormfly’s scales._____Astrid and Hiccup are anxious for the Nadder migration to return to Berk and for Stormfly to come home.





	Cerulean

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a little over a year since I have written or posted, so I hope this piece serves as an exercise to not only familiarize myself with writing again, but to also branch out into one of my favorite childhood fandoms. Please, do not hesitate to leaves comments or concerns - criticism is always greatly appreciated, whether it is negative or positive! - H

They find the mornings restless and quiet. There was the quiet shuffle of furs and heavy wool blankets being pushed aside, their familiar warmth slowly seeping away as the early sunlight snuck into the room.

“Good morning,” Hiccup murmured as he let a leg fall out of bed unceremoniously and fall on the cold floor. He leant over on an elbow, stretching to face Astrid, who was still rubbing her eyes open. He grinned with equally exhausted eyes as she, leaned down to plant an uncoordinated kiss on her bare shoulder, then finally and reluctantly pulled himself out of bed.

“Stormfly should be back soon any day,” Astrid mumbled as she sat up and pulled her favorite shawl over her shoulders. It draped mesmerizingly down half the length of her body, even when she wore it loosely on warmer days. She had dyed its wool a cerulean blue, a beautiful color as deep as the waves of the sea and Stormfly’s scales. Hiccup thought it matched Astrid's eyes spectacularly. “Snoggletog month is about to end and her hatchlings should be about big enough to fly by this time.”

Hiccup nodded with her words and grinned as he riffled through their chest of clothes at the foot of their bed. He found a thick green tunic for himself and pulled out Astrid’s even thicker red flying shirt. He handed it over to her with a soft glimmer in his eyes.

“It’ll be wonderful to have Stormfly back. And more importantly, safe on Berk with her clutch of hatchlings. It doesn’t feel like the holidays until she’s back home.” He offered Astrid a warm expression before pulling his tunic over his head.

“You want to make breakfast?” Astrid asked him, changing the subject, just as Hiccup’s head emerged from the neck of the wool tunic. His hair stood on end from the friction. Astrid pulled him close with a firm tug of her hand and began to run her hands through his hair in an attempt to tame it.

“Of course,” Hiccup murmured, so close in proximity, so close to her wide eyes that focused on his hair as a distraction from thinking of Stormfly’s impending flight home. He let her pat and meddle with his hair until she finally stepped away, satisfied as a preening Nadder.

_____

They spend the early hours of the morning organizing the mess they had made in the wake of their work the previous night. Hiccup found himself searching dark corners behind tables for lost bolts and pieces of charcoal pencils, often pricking his fingertips when he came across sharpened tips. Astrid, on the other hand, took to cleaning and sweeping around the dragon den and making sure to collect fallen dragon scales.

Blue, yellow and shiny black scales mixed together in the bowl she took out for the purposes of cleaning. Hiccup would use them later for their armor. The suits were complete and operational, but he liked to save extra scales in the event of a seam ripping or helmets needing extra protection in certain areas.

_____

Astrid spends the better part of the afternoon with Toothless and flitting between larger sea stacks lined around the island. She gripped the handlebars of the saddle lightly, trusting Toothless to take her between each loop or gap with ease. They avoided the narrow and fog-ridden sea stacks and instead enjoyed a calming flight through the wider spaces.

Flying with Toothless was akin to riding the very winds themselves, Astrid thought to herself for the millionth time in years, relaxing her body into the saddle and feeling Toothless angle his wings to gain altitude. She understood why Hiccup craved the adrenaline, the rush of energy as Toothless and he catapulted across the skies at breakneck speeds and the only evidence of them having been there at all was a screeching of the air. She understood the weightlessness and absolute anarchic freedom of slipping from the saddle and free falling through the air, plummeting towards the earth.

It was an honor and a privilege to fly with Toothless, but at this time of year, Astrid sorely missed Stormfly. Many a times Astrid wished the Nadder migration did not take her beautiful girl so far from Berk. But Berk was not the nesting island of Nadders, especially the wild and untamed clutches that came soaring overhead from farther lands that not even Hiccup could dream of in his wildest imagination. Without fail, the Nadders of Berk would bid their temporary goodbyes to their humans before joining the migration to who-knows-where.

Astrid always loathed when the time came each year when Stormfly would shift under her hands impatiently as she unbuckled their saddle. Her Nadder would perk to attention for flight in a manner of seconds, but not before rubbing a heartfelt cheek against the top of Astrid’s head and pulling her braid over her shoulder - always preening, always a Nadder.

She would watch from the grand stone steps leading to the Great Hall as the Nadders flew in slow and easy circles around the island. They never flew close enough to be within shooting range, but never far enough to ignore the chitter and chatter of reuniting dragons as they picked out mates to fly with until they reached their destination.

_____

Hiccup found her near dinner time. He burst into the common room of their home with Toothless, both with wide and goofy smiles across their faces and both equally as wiggly as Hiccup called her name out.

“The Nadders are arriving!” Hiccup nearly shouted as Astrid stumbled towards him with wide eyes. He could see the relief and hope flush her face pink and make her eyes go round. It was one of Hiccup’s favorite sights. “The patrol raced back to warn us - they’ll be here soon! Come on Astrid, Stormfly’s coming home!”

Astrid let Hiccup pull her out the door and helped her up onto Toothless’ smooth and unsaddled back. Her legs tightened around his thick neck and she twisted back to reach for Hiccup to help him up, but he was already pushing Toothless off and away.

“Go ahead, bud! I’ll catch up in a bit,” Hiccup chuckled warmly. Toothless did not wait for further instructions. Astrid was jerked to attention when he took off in the direction of the center of the village, his night-black wings spreading half way to help him glide as he sprinted nimbly over carts and up onto the town rooftops.

Astrid felt like a child riding a runaway sheep as she held on for dear life. She laughed and gripped the scales beneath Toothless’ ear plates to keep her balance. In the distance, she could see the sunset and a cloud of specks moving in their direction.

Small groups of Nadders, older and not bearing clutches of hatchlings, circled Berk with a precision unlike most dragons were lucky to be gifted. The wild, untamed individuals remained in the skies as the human-bound Nadders began landing amongst the crowded buildings of Berk. Laughter and cries of reunion began to ring throughout the town.

Toothless came to a halt on a particularly tall water tower, his hind legs perched and his front paws hanging limply at his sides. Astrid tightened her legs around his neck and squinted to better see the hordes of Nadders arriving over Berk’s sky. Toothless wiggled his head as his eyes did the same as hers.

After some brief moments of searching through rainbows of colors and wings and talons, Toothless made a cooing, then warbling noise that brought the attention of a particular cerulean blue Nadder frantically flittering over a feeding station. She was surrounded by four equally as beautiful hatchlings.

“Stormfly, my beautiful girl!” Astrid screeched. Toothless leapt from the water tower and spread his wings, gliding over a few rooftops before landing on a post close enough for Astrid to climb down from his back impatiently. She nearly lost her footing as she climbed down the side of the landing post and forwent the last few rungs of the ladder to jump down to the ground. Above her, Toothless made more happy warbling noises at the sight of his friend.

Stormfly screeched and chittered as she raced to warmly snuggle her horn into Astrid’s opened arms. The dragon brought her wings close, as if to almost hug the woman and closed her tired eyes in relief. Astrid, without breaking the embrace, stroked her horn and cheeks.

“Oh my very good, my very beautiful girl,” Astrid cooed, her own cheek pressed into iridescent blue scales. “I was so worried, but you’re here now. Oh, I am so happy you’re here!”

Both dragon and rider stayed in that warm embrace for a moment longer, both too content to separate just yet. Neither registered Toothless fluttering down from his perch to slowly approach Stormfly’s curious clutch of young hatchings, or how he regretted the decision of getting close almost as quickly as they pounced towards him with open wings and half crooked smiles.

Stormfly pulled away gently for a moment, only to preen upon Astrid’s hair and push the wild and tangled strands over her shoulder. Astrid rubbed her horn one last time, smiling fondly up at Stormfly. The Nadder cocked her head at her, curious and flustered with Astrid’s forgetfulness about the importance of appearances.

“It’s good to have you home, my beautiful Stormfly,” Astrid murmured quietly.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, do not hesitate to leaves comments or concerns - criticism is always greatly appreciated, whether it is negative or positive! - H


End file.
